


No Rest for the Dying

by glowystars325



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood, Eventual Romance, Happy Ending, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I'm Sorry, M/M, Possible Character Death, Sick Tony, Unrequited Love, nice Fury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 09:51:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowystars325/pseuds/glowystars325
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sick, possibly dying, and one of Doom's rays does not a good day make. Tony might just be over his head... That is if he makes it out alive. If only Steve listened to Fury.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Doctor

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking for a Beta if anyone is interested, just let me know down below.  
> *The rating might change*

Tony was down in his lab working on the design for the new Stark-phone, feeling like death warmed over. He suddenly was hit with a huge coughing attack.  
"Sir? Might I recommend a visit to medical? Your fever has gotten worse," JARVIS said.  
"I know. What are my oxygen levels?"  
"Down by 20%. Shall I call Ms. Potts to let her know?"  
Tony bit his lip. Him getting sick was him playing with death. He only has 76% of his lungs in use on a good day because of the arc reactor. He started to cough loudly.  
"Please call Pepper," Tony said before he started to cough again.  
"Tony. This better be good. I have a meeting in a few minutes," Pepper's partially annoyed voice rang out over the speakers.  
"I'm sick," Tony got out between his violent coughs.  
"Shit! Are you breathing okay?"  
"Not at all. Can you take me to medical?"  
"Yeah. I'll be there in a few minutes. Just sit down okay?"  
"Okay," Tony said before the phone call ended. Tony collapsed in another fit of loud coughs. After they subsided, Tony curled up on the floor. He felt like he couldn't move.  
Pepper arrived shortly and sighed when she saw Tony. She helped him up and placed a hand on his forehead, "You're burning up. Why didn't you call me sooner?"  
Tony shrugged and said, "I don't like medical."  
"I know. JARVIS, what's his oxygen level?" Pepper asked.  
"Down 22% Ms. Potts."  
"Thank you JARVIS. Come on Tony. Let's get you to Medical. Happy is waiting for us outside."  
Tony nodded in acknowledgment and coughed a few more times causing Pepper to frown.

~~~~~

"I never thought I'd see the day that Mr. Stark came here willingly. What seems to be the matter?"  
Tony gave her a pleading look; he hated doctors. He didn't want to talk to him. He really didn’t want to talk to him. Pepper sighed, rolling her eyes, and answered, "He's sick. He has a bad fever and a nasty cough. JARVIS said that his oxygen levels are down 22%. He can only use 76% of his lungs because of the reactor on a good day."  
Tony nodded and started to cough. The doctor's eyebrow raised at the rugged dry rugged dry sound. He took out his stethoscope and placed it over one lung then the next.  
"I think I know what's wrong. I believe that he has croupe. It's better than pneumonia, but not by much and can easily turn into a bad case of pneumonia. He's going to have to wait it out. There isn't much that I can do. I also believe that he has a sinus infection. I'll have the pharmacy prepare a prescription for antibiotics."  
Tony spoke up, "I can't. I'm allergic to all antibiotics."  
"That's a little bit of a problem. Try and keep your sinuses clear. Give him cough medicine and tea. That's the only thing you can really do. He'll need to be extremely careful the next few weeks. If he isn't, well, he could die."  
Pepper nodded and thanked the doctor before she helped Tony get to the car in the slowest pace she could get away with.

~~~~

Pepper helped Tony into bed and covered him in the soft and warm dark red comforter. After placing another yellow blanket on top of him and adding another fluffy feather-stuffed pillow under his messy hair she asked, "Do you need anything? I'm going to go grab the humidifier and get you a glass of water. Don't move okay?"  
After she came back, placing the crystal glass on the nightstand and plugged the penguin shaped humidifier in. Pepper continued to mother him and yet again asked if he needed anything. Tony shook his head and she sighed, "Okay. I'll let Steve know that you aren't feeling good. No going on Avenger emergencies, and no going to the lab. Got it?"  
"But I have work that needs to get done. I can't just sit in bed all day. The team already thinks..." Tony trailed off as the more recent cruelties from the team ran through his mind. He barely shook his head as if it would banish the thoughts from his mind. Never mind, but I can't miss out on the emergencies."  
"You could die if you strain yourself. I don't even want you walking to the bathroom by yourself, let alone trying to save the world. Please promise me that you won't strain yourself Tony."  
"I'll try. Don't tell Steve. You can tell Bruce though. I'm okay with him knowing. Please don't tell anyone else."  
"Fine. Feel better. Okay?"  
"I'll do my best," Tony said before Pepper gave him a tight hug.  
"Try and sleep. I'll check on you soon."

~~~~~

Bruce was down in his lab when Pepper came in. "Hello handsome," Pepper said as she gave him a kiss.  
"Hey Pep. Why are you down here? I thought you had meetings all day."  
"I did, but Tony's sick. I had to take him to medical.  
"How bad is it?" Bruce asked in a worried tone. He knew how dangerous any illness could be for his friend.  
"He has croup and a sinus infection. If he strains himself, he'll most likely die. You need to take care of him," Pepper pleaded.  
"Of course I will babe. Why didn't you ask Steve though? He's more of a mother hen. Steve would make sure that Tony makes it through this without so much as a single worry."  
"Tony didn't want him to know. You know how he feels about him. He probably doesn't want Steve to see him like that."  
"That makes sense. When do you have to go back to work?" Bruce asked.  
"In an hour or so."  
"Then let me take you to lunch. Please?" Bruce asked her.  
"How can I say no to you? Come on."

~~~~~

Tony was beyond miserable. He was in the middle of another coughing fit when Pepper came into the room. She waited for him to quit coughing before she sat on the end of the bed.  
"Are you feeling any better?" She asked concern pouring from her eyes.  
"No. I'm feeling worse."  
"At least you sound better."  
"I just did that God awful nasal rinse thing. It won't last though."  
Pepper rubbed his back and said, "Just keep resting. You'll get better soon. I have to leave tomorrow morning to go to that meeting in Japan."  
"Wasn't I supposed to go to that? Not that I'm complaining about getting out of a meeting..."  
"Yes you were, but I don't want you to strain yourself."  
"Okay. I'm tired," Tony mumbled sleepily.  
Pepper kissed his forehead and said, "Get some sleep. I'll be back in a few days," Tony mumbled something along the lines of okay before he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony was woken up by Bruce the next morning.  
"Tony. Wake up. You need to take more cough medicine," Bruce woke him gently.  
Bruce helped him sit up and gave him the medicine. Tony looked like he swallowed a lemon, "Can't you make it taste any better?"  
"Nope. Sorry. I'm not in charge of making them, just buying them."  
"JARVIS, make a note that Stark Industry needs to make better tasting medicine."  
"Yes sir," the AI replied.  
Bruce handed Tony his tablet so he could work on plans as he was on bed rest. "I have to go into SHIELD. Fury wants something from me. I'll be back before lunch. Okay?"   
"Got it. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself," Tony pouted.  
"Not according to Pepper."  
"You're just siding with her because she's your girlfriend."  
"Yup. Don't do anything too straining. You also need to do another nasal rinse."  
Tony made a face at that. Bruce laughed and left, closing the door behind him.  
After an hour of Tony fiddling around on the tablet, he got up and did another nasal rinse before going to get something to eat.

~

Bruce sat before Fury as he learned why the he was needed. "We need you to do an undercover op."  
"Why do you need me? Isn't that Clint and Natasha's job?"  
"Normally yes, but it's in India."  
"So?"  
"So, you are known to go to the small villages and play doctor for them. We need you to go into Phullan. There's an underground weapon trade going on there and you are the best one to be able to get in, destroy the weapons, and get out the easiest and fastest."  
Bruce looked at his feet. Sighing he said, "I'd love to help you, but I need to take care of Tony. I promised Pepper."  
"Why? He's an adult."  
"I know that, but he's really sick. He has croup and a sinus infection. If he strains himself too much, well, he could die. Someone needs to take care of him and Pepper left for Japan earlier."  
Fury paused. He's known Tony since he was just a kid, and he had always been fond of him -no matter how often he tried him - and didn't want to see him hurt. The only thing was they needed this op done and done quickly at that, the group was always moving and near impossible to track down. He looked at Bruce and said, "You leave in an hour. I'll get Rogers to watch Tony and make sure he doesn't kill himself."  
"Can Steve handle it? Tony isn’t the easiest person to handle - especially when he’s sick."  
"You have no idea. He's more of a mother hen than you are. We have some stuff packed for you already. I'll give Rogers a call and let him know that he's on Tony duty.”  
"Now you need to go down to the armory and get equipped with a gun and communication. Good luck."  
"Thank you sir," Bruce said before he left, glad that Steve would be taking care of Tony.  
Fury sighed and called Steve.  
Steve answered quickly, "Hello Director. Is there an emergency?"  
"Not that I know of. I need you to take care of Tony."  
Steve sighed, "He's an adult. He can watch himself."  
"He's sick and you need to watch him."  
"I really don't want to."  
Fury was getting mad. Why didn't Steve care about Tony's health? It's so unlike him. He growled out, "You will watch him and you will take care of him. That's an order. I will bench you for a month if you don't!"  
He hung up the phone and rubbed his forehead. He really didn't understand why Banner seemed to be the only one on the team who liked Tony. Sure he could be obnoxious, but he's always had a heart of gold.  
He unlocked the top drawer in his desk and pulled out an old photo. He ran his fingers over the young smiling boy in the arms of a younger him. He said to himself, "You better get well soon. You can't leave your Uncle Fury yet Tones."

~

*30 years ago*

Howard walked into SHIELD with a curious 5 year old Tony trailing behind him. Jarvis was out of town and Maria left to spend some time in Paris with her friends leaving Howard to look after the hyperactive child.  
"Hello Fury," Howard said, "Maria left me with the kid today."  
"Good morning. It should be no problem. I'm sure we can find someone to watch him."  
"Great. Thanks for volunteering. Here you go. I have work to do," Howard shoved Tony in his direction before running down to the workshop.  
He rolled his eye at the retreating figure and looked down when a small voice asked, "Are you a pirate?"  
Fury knelt down to Tony's eye-level, "No I'm not. Why do you think that?"   
"Because you have an eye patch!" Tony's voice made it clear that he thought it was obvious.  
"Of course. Come on. Let's introduce you to Agent Coulson. He's a big fan of Captain America."  
"Really! Let's go! Come on..." The young Stark bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. Fury took his hand and lead the way down to where Agent's office was.

~

Steve glared at the phone in his hand, mentally cursing Agent Fury in his mind. Why would he threaten to bench Captain America because Stark can’t act like a responsible adult? One thing was for sure, he better not be faking it or just have a little cold.  
Natasha and Clint looked over at him. Clint asked, "What's got you in such a sour mood?"  
"Stark is apparently sick and I have to take care of him."  
Tony walked up to the door to the kitchen and paused when he heard Natasha say, "So you're going to play naughty nurse for Stark? Good luck. You should enjoy it. Be sure to figure out who's dog tags he's always wearing."  
Steve replied angrily, "Just because I'm gay and I told you I thought he wasn't hard on the eyes doesn't mean that I want to be with him."  
Clint said, "You could still fuck him. He's a manwhore. It'd be pretty easy for you to get him to spread his legs for you. Probably wouldn’t even have to ask. I bet you wouldn't even have to try."  
Steve snorted, "Please! I'd only screw that slut if I was truly desperate. Even then I'd have to think about it."  
Tony felt his heart break a little bit. He's been in love with Steve since the Avengers moved into the tower and had a crush on him since he was a kid. He knew that he didn’t have the greatest o reputations, but he had changed. He hasn’t been with anyone since Afghanistan - he couldn’t trust anyone he didn’t know to be that close to him anymore. Sure he still went on dates when necessary, but he hated how fake they were. All of the girls, he couldn’t stand anymore - he realized he was gay a year before being kidnapped. The guys were all airheaded jerks. No one was like Steve.  
Natasha laughed, "You do know he's in love with you. It's pathetic."  
"He's so self-centered he probably doesn't know what love is. I could never be with someone as narcissistic as him," Steve said, not truly meaning the words that fell out of his mouth.  
Tony wiped away the few tears that had fallen. He knew what love was. He knew that he never had it and it seemed like he never will. He cleared his throat and walked into the room - even though all he wanted to do was go back to his room and cry. He still had to have something to eat, otherwise Bruce would get mad.  
"Good morning," Tony said to them before going to the cupboard and getting a bowl out and the oatmeal, trying to school his features again.  
Natasha asked, "So why did Fury call and ask Steve to watch you? You don't sound sick at all."  
Tony didn't have an answer, only feeling confused, so he looked at them for answers, "Will you tell me what's going on? Bruce was helping me."  
“Bruce was sent on a mission you idiot. Maybe you would know that if you got your head out of your ass every now and then,” Natasha said cruely.  
"I was told that you were sick and ordered to watch you. Obviously, you can't be that sick if you're up and walking about."  
"He probably only has a slight cold and is being a complete baby about it," Clint said rudely. For some unknown reason, Fury always seemed to be over protective of the self centered asshole.  
Tony started, "Bu-."  
Natasha cut him off, "You know it's true Stark. You always want to be waited on hand and foot. You aren't happy unless everyone is focused on you."  
Tony swallowed hard and a tear fell down his face. He abandoned the oatmeal and ran out of the room. When he got to his room, he doubled over coughing, choking on air. It felt like he couldn't breathe.  
"Sir, you're oxygen levels are falling rapidly. Shall I notify someone of your condition?" JARVIS asked in a concerned voice.  
"No. I'll be fine. Don't bug them. That’s an order. I'm just going to stay in bed for the rest of the day," Tony replied as he slowly crawled back into bed. He hugged one of his pillows as he cried.  
'Why don't they like me? I'm trying to be great to them. I gave them all new upgraded equipment. Maybe I'm just not good enough. Why can't I ever be good enough for anyone?'   
Tony eventually cried himself back to sleep.

~

It was nearing 7 o'clock when the Avenger's alarm went off. Tony knew he couldn't help out the team this time. He was just too sick and it was too dangerous.   
There was a banging on his door and Clint stormed in. He yelled, "Why the fuck aren't you suited up yet? Get your ass in gear and move!"  
"I can't," Tony protested weakly.  
"To Hell you can't. Stop acting like a child. If you aren't suited up and ready to go in 15, we're kicking you out of the Avengers."  
Tony sat up, "Y-you can't do that."  
"Yes we can we've already decided on it. You'd be out numbered. 14 minutes," Clint finished before walking out.   
Tony got out of bed and headed to the workshop as fast as he could. He couldn’t lose his place in the Avengers, it seemed to be all he had at times.  
"Sir, might I remind you that you cannot strain yourself," JARVIS said.  
"I have to," Tony said as the suit was being placed on. He flow to Central park where Dr. Doom was attacking the city.  
"You're late Ironman," Captain America's voice sternly scolded through the com.  
"I'm sorry, I tried to get h-," Tony started, terrified of saying the wrong thing for the umpteenth time. He couldn’t lose his spot on the team.  
Hawkeye and Widow said in unison, "Shut up and listen. We don't want to hear your excuses."  
"They're right," Rogers agreed softly.  
"Just don't fucking talk at all okay? No one wants to listen to your idiocy," Hawkeye said.  
"Just do what you're told to do," Cap said before giving out instructions.  
A few stray tears fell down Tony's face as he turned the mic off on his com. 'They won't have to listen to me now.'  
He followed every direction to the dot, but it was starting to take it's toll. He was coughing and hacking away, never seeming to get enough air.  
"Sir, you need to get to a hospital immediately. Your oxygen levels are dangerously low," JARVIS warned.  
Tony tried to reply, but he didn't have the breath for it.  
Tony was gasping for air. He couldn't breathe in the enclosed suit. He frantically opened his helmet and took gasping breaths. Next thing he knew, he was screaming in agony as he fell to the ground.

~

Phil was watching the battle through the helicarior. Dr. Doom was putting up a fight. He watched as another bot went after Widow, Hawkeye struck another two down. Doom pulled out a curious looking gun. Fury came down and was pissed when he saw that Iron Man was fighting.  
"Why the fuck is Stark out there?" Fury demanded. Tony was sick. He needed to be in bed resting not trying to fight Dr. Dimwit.   
Coulson answered smoothly not realizing Fury's anger, "Apparently he was playing sick to get out of his duties. The others want to hold a meeting after to see if he can be off the team."  
Fury was pissed, almost too pissed to miss Tony opening his helmet and being hit by a thick deep purple beam from one of Dr. Doom's ray guns. He watched in heart stopping horror as Tony fell from ten stories up. Tony tumbled out of the sky, hitting the asphalt hard enough to form a slight crater in the earth.


	3. Chapter 3

"That fucking idiot!" Widow yelled through her com. She knew that Clint and her would have to do some recon to find out what the hell actually hit Stark.  
"Stark is just completely useless! He screws everything up!" Hawkeye responded.  
"Stop it! Focus on Doom and I'll check on Stark," Rogers commanded as he ran to where Tony fell to the ground.  
He pried open the suit, desperately trying to check on Tony. Only, Tony wasn't there. Instead, there was a small boy in the suit crying.  
Steve knew that it had to be Tony, the boy still had the arc reactor (only it was smaller) and the mystery person dog tags. He lifted the tags to read the name on them. He quickly dropped them when he realized that they were his from before the serum.  
JARVIS spoke up, "Captain, Master Stark needs immediate medical attention. His oxygen levels are extremely low. If he doesn't receive help immediately he will die."  
Steve felt his heart freeze. Tony couldn't die. He still had to tell him how he felt about him. He scooped up the boy and ran for the helicarrier.  
"Shh... It's okay Tony. It'll be okay. You'll be fine," Steve tried to comfort the small child that seemed to only be a toddler.  
Fury was at the entrance with a medical team and a stretcher. Steve gently placed Tony on the stretcher and was shocked when Fury started to try and calm him. He had never seen the director that open, gentle, or worried ever before - let alone all three at once.  
The child immediately reached for Fury, tears still rolling down his face, "Uncle... Fury... I feel like.... I can't... breathe... It hurts."  
Fury was at his side stroking the boy's hair as he walked quickly with the stretcher, "I know Tones. It's going to be okay. We'll have you fixed up real soon. I promise. Just keep trying to breathe. Just focus on that. Okay?"  
Tony still looked terrified, "Will.... you stay? I’m… scared..... I'm scared."  
"Of course. I won't leave you."  
One of the nurses placed an oxygen mask over Tony's face. She calmly explained to the boy what was going on, "You're sick and it's making it hard for you to breathe. You need to wear this mask to help you get more air into your lungs. You'll be perfectly fine."  
Steve followed after them and watched as they put Tony to sleep. They quickly had him attached to a respirator and got him to a stable condition. Tony looked so small and fragile under all of those cords. It reminded Steve of his younger years, always sickly and in and out of the hospital all of the time. The image in front of him seemed to parallel his own experiences in a frightening way; a way he never wanted to experience again.

~

*29 years ago*

"Uncle Fury!" Tony yelled as he ran to the surly man with a bright smile on his face when he turned to see Tony..  
"Hi Tones. You do know that I'm not your uncle right?"  
"I know. But I love you more than my uncle, so you're my new uncle," the six year old boy said as he gave Fury a hug.  
Fury smiled at the boy and picked him up. Tony wrapped his arms around Fury's neck and started telling him all about the hugging robot he made.  
"Did you bring it with you?"  
"No. Daddy said it wasn't good enough and useless. He broke it," Tony said sadly.  
"Well, I think that a hugging robot is a great idea," Fury said as he sat Tony down on his desk. He gave Tony a present, "Happy birthday Tones."  
"You got me a present?" Tony sounded shocked by the fact that he got a gift.  
"Of course. Open it. I have a feeling that you’re really going to like it."  
Tony ripped away the wrapping paper and gave Fury a confused look. Holding up the silver chain with two banged up, slightly rusted steel sheets on it, he asked, "What are these?"  
"These are Captain America's dog tags from when he was in the war."  
"Thank you!!!! I love Captain America!" Tiny Tony said as he gave Fury a big hug before putting the tags on, "I'll always wear these."

~

After Fury was sure that Tony was going to be okay he walked out to the hallway, Steve followed him reluctantly. He didn’t want to leave the boy’s bedside, even though he knew that he had no right to be near Tony after everything he’s done.  
The director glared at Steve, "You have a minute to say what you want."  
Steve knew he was in trouble but he asked all of the questions that were running through his head, "What's wrong with Tony? Why is he three years old? Why does he have my old dog tags? Why does he call you Uncle Fury? Will he be okay?" The last question was asked in a quiet voice.  
"In order, Tony is sick. I told you to watch over him and you didn't. Now he is in that room fighting for his life and _you _are to blame. He isn't three, he's six. He was hit with one of Doom's fucking rays. He has your dog tags because I gave them to him for his 6th birthday. It was his choice to call me Uncle Fury. I don't know if he'll be okay; according to Bruce, he most likely die. Now why don't you explain to me why the fuck you didn't follow my orders."__  
Steve looked at the ground, "I thought he was faking it or being over dramatic. He didn't sound sick to me. I should have listened, but I was mad. I didn't like the fact that Clint and Tasha were making fun of how I like him..." Steve trailed off.  
"Why did you make him go on this mission?"  
"I-I didn't. Clint did, he said that Tony was just trying to get out of his duties. I-."  
Nick didn’t give him time to explain himself, he was beyond pissed. His voice raised to a louder tone,"Why the Hell are you holding a meeting to throw Tony off the team?"  
"W-wha-?" Steve didn’t know what the director was talking about. A meeting to kick Tony out of the Avengers? He didn’t want that.  
"Don't you know that Tony's position on the Avengers is my call and my call only?"  
"Yes I do!" Steve yelled, "I didn't even know there was going to be a meeting on kicking him out. I really just thought it would be to remind him that he has to fulfill his duties on the team. I didn't know that he was dying. I'm so sorry," Steve broke off crying.  
"He wouldn't be in there dying if you had listen to me. He would be in bed sleeping and recovering right now."  
"I know. I'm so sorry. H-he can't die. I haven't been able to tell him how I feel about him. He'll die thinking we hate him. I made him cry. Oh God! I made him cry," Steve sobbed.  
Fury's eye narrowed and he spoke in a deadly voice, "You made him cry? That boy never cries, not even after Afghanistan. I've only seen him cry just a few times, the last being just before he turned 9. That was when Howard taught him that it wasn't okay for a Stark to cry. I fucking remember that day like it happened just a few hours ago. When things got too bad for him, Captain fucking America was the only thing that kept him going. I can't even imagine how much pain he has to be in now."  
Steve backed up against the wall and let himself slide to the ground as he cried in the hallway. Fury shook his head in equal parts disbelief and disgust - not a sliver of pity flashing across his face - at Steve and walked back into the room to be with Tony.

****~** **

*****26 years ago*** **

****Fury was pissed beyond belief when he saw the state Tony was in after going down to the lab to see his so called father. Tony said that he wanted to "do science" with his daddy. It wasn’t anything harmful at all. Yet here the child was looking like he was kidnapped and torchered. He had a black eye, a broken nose, and a split lip. Only, that wasn't the worst of it, Tony had belt marks on his back and a few fresh and violent looking cigar burns.  
Fury felt his heart ache for the child. He called for Jarvis and together they cleaned the angry red welts and ash covered, stinging burns. Afterwords, Fury just held the boy in his arms until he fell asleep, the boy never shed a single tear the entire time.  
He couldn’t understand how Howard could treat this innocent boy the way that he did. He could never understand anyone who would ever want to hurt a child: even more so when it came to his Tones. He was such a bright and cheerful child. Then there was the fact that he was a complete genius, doing things that a grown man couldn’t dream of, but Tony could do it without breaking a sweat. Fury would have loved to have had a child with just a fraction of Tony’s personality and he would’ve still been amazed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Fury was sitting in the chair next to the bed when Tony woke up.  
"Uncle Fury?" a small, blocked voice asked.  
"Yeah Tones? I'm here."  
"Why do I have a nightlight in me and why was I in that metal suit? Where’s Daddy?"  
“Both of those are really long stories. Your dad,” Fury spit the word out like it was a drink of rotten curled milk, “ is busy with work. But I have some good news for you," Fury needed to keep him distracted. It was bad enough having to deal with Afghanistan himself, let alone telling a six year old about it.  
"Do I get to leave?"  
Fury chuckled, even as a kid, Tony always hated doctors, "No. You need to stay here for awhile, but Captain America is here to see you."  
"Really? He's really here?," Steve walked into the room at this point, "Daddy found him. Now he might want me around."  
Steve felt his heart shatter at those words; he couldn't believe that Howard treated his own son like that. An old war hero should never make a higher priority than your own child.  
"Hi Tony," the Captain said timidly.  
Tony turned to him and gave Steve a big smile, "It's Captain America! You're the greatest person ever! Look, I have your dog tags!"  
"I know that you're excited Tones, but you need to stay calm. You can't breathe too well right now," Fury said, worry was dripping from his voice.  
Tony sighed and patted the spot next to him in bed, "Come sit here."  
Steve smiled and sat next to the small boy. He listened to Tony talk about robots and the ones he was making. Steve was amazed that a child could know all of this information and be able to build a mind boggling complicated object that he couldn’t even hope to dream up. After an hour, Clint and Natasha came into the room. Natasha looked at Tony and then Steve and said, "Doom's ray has been located. We managed to get some information out of a few of the prisoners. From what they told us, the effects are temporary. His memories should be coming back in bits and pieces, but his body will change back all at once in about a week."  
"Thank you for informing me. We still need to talk about how you two treat your teammate," Fury warned cooly. He was about to continue when Tony let out a shriek and held onto his head.  
Steve tried to comfort Tony as Fury stood up to go get a nurse. Clint stopped him, "There's nothing that they can do for him. Pain medication won't help. It might actually make the pain worse for Tony. It's a device meant to hurt the victim in multiple ways."  
Fury was at a loss, he sat back down and tried to comfort Tony the best he could, not knowing what the poor child was seeing in his head and the horrid memories he was remembering.  
All four watched in horror as Tony continued to scream in pain. It lasted for twenty long minutes before Tony was able to calm down only to have him start crying again, but this time out of pure, unfiltered sadness.  
"Tony what's wrong?"  
"No one wants me!" Tony choked out before continuing to sob his way into fits of coughing followed by more sobs. His oxygen levels fell quickly as he hyperventilated (after they nearly got up to where Tony was before the battle) and the machine went off.   
The loud blaring noise brought in a few nurses. They frantically tried to calm him, but failed. One ran out of the room before coming back with a needle in her hand. She stuck it into Tony's arm and he quickly started to calm down.  
"I had to sedated him. He will be asleep for awhile, but he'll be fine," the nurse explained calmly to the flustered looking team. 

~

*28 years ago*

"Get the fuck out of here! You fuck everything up!" Howard shouted at the seven year old boy. Tony's eyes started to water, only making Howard angrier. Tony cried out in pain when a hard slap hit his face. "You're worthless! I never wanted you! Get out of my sight!"  
The boy ran upstairs, biting his lip to try and keep from crying. He didn’t understand why his Daddy never wanted him around. He thought that daddies were supposed to love their kids not hurt them for wanting to spend time together.   
It was the same way with his Mommy too. All his Mommy ever did was ignore him. She would never hug or kiss him anymore. She never tucked him in at night or comforted him after a nightmare. She never took care of him when he was sick or upset.  
Jarvis was the only one that took care of him. He would always make time for Tony in his busy day no matter what. Sometimes if Tony was bored, he would make cookies with him. If he was feeling lonely and wanted someone to play with, Jarvis would take him to the park. Jarvis loved him. He was the only one that seemed to want him around.

*24 years ago*

Tony finished packing up his things. Tomorrow morning he was leaving for a private boarding school on the other side of the country. He ran to his parents' room, wanting to spend his last night at home with them.   
Tony began to open the door and paused when he heard Maria and Howard talking.  
"I can't wait to get rid of that brat. He's always in the way," Howard complained.  
"I wouldn't go that far. He is a handful though. It'll be nice to have a break."  
Tony bit his lip and quietly shut the door and ran back to his room. He crawled into bed and hugged his pillow tight. He refused to cry. So what? His parents didn't want him. He already knew that. They never even acted like they wanted him around. At least he had his Uncle Fury and Jarvis. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't. He couldn’t.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously forgot to update. I'm sorry. :(

When Tony woke up again, Fury was right by his side.  
"Uncle Fury? W-why doesn't Daddy love me? Where's Jarvis? I want him," Tony asked sadly.  
Fury wanted to cry; his heart bleed for Tony. He ran his fingers through Tony's hair and said, "You're dad isn't a nice man. He didn't appreciate you like I do. I love you and that's all you'll ever need."  
Tony nodded, let out a few loud coughs, and whispered in a scratchy voice, "I love you too. Where's Jarvis? He's always here when I'm sick."  
"I'll call him and see if we can get him back from California. Okay?"  
"Okay."  
"I'll be back soon. I'll call Jarvis really fast," Fury said before he stepped out of the room and headed to his office.  
He dug through one of his desk drawers and pulled out an old address book. He flipped to Jarvis' number and dialed it.  
'Let's hope this number is still good' Fury thought as he pressed the call button. After a few rings, a familiar accent spoke through the phone, "Good evening. This is Edwin Jarvis. May I ask who is calling?"  
"Thank God you answered. It's Fury. We have a slight issue with Tony and I was wondering if you'd come to New York to help out?"  
"Anthony? What's happened to him now? Please tell me he isn't dying again or kidnapped or in the hospital or the like," Jarvis asked, clearly worried.  
"I wish that I could. He might die. He's really sick and can barely breathe. He's on a respirator right now," Nick Fury said in a resigned and weary voice.  
"Dear God. I'll come, but what do you need me to help with?"  
"He went into battle yesterday (against orders to rest) and was hit by one of Doom's rays and is now 6 years old. He's gaining back his memories in bits, and they aren't pleasant - as you could imagine. He's asking for you right now."  
"I'm going to give him a firm talking to when he's back to normal. I'll come to New York."  
"Thank you Edwin. I'll have a jet come and pick you up. It should be there in a few hours."  
"Thank you. Please inform Anthony that I'll be there later today."  
"Will do. See you soon," Fury said before hanging up the phone. He told Coulson to have a jet go and pick Jarvis up and hurried back to Tony.

~

Steve was pacing back and forth in front of Tony's hospital room holding a soft teddy bear. He sighed and entered the room. Tony was waiting for Fury to come back.  
"Uncle Fury? Is Jarvis coming here?"  
"It's Captain America. I brought you something," Steve said to the boy.  
"Really? What is it?"  
"I got you a teddy bear," the blonde said cheerily as he gave the soft brown plush toy to the young Tony.  
Tony was torn. He always wanted a teddy bear and it was from THE Captain America, but Daddy would never let him have one. They were baby toys and Howard always threw any stuffed animals into an incinerator when he got them.  
"You promise Daddy won't be mad?" Tony asked in a small voice. He didn't want his Daddy to hit him again - not realizing it - he said it out loud.  
Steve wanted to cry. He sat down by the hospital bed and said, "I won't let Howard hurt you ever again. I promise. He won't be mad at you. I always had a teddy bear when I was in the hospital when I was a kid. I think everyone needs a teddy bear."  
Tony grabbed the teddy bear and gave it a big hug, "Thank you Mr. Rogers."  
“You can call me Steve. You’re welcome,” Steve said as he ran his fingers threw Tony’s messy hair. He knew that he had a lot of making up to do before adult Tony could even think about forgiving him. He could only hope that things should go his way.

~

Jarvis was a wreck, if he wasn’t so old he’d be getting more grey hairs by the minute. He was out of his mind with worry. He had already boarded a jet to get to New York but even that didn’t seem fast enough. He needed to be there yesterday. He could only imagine how the poor boy was handling his memories, they really weren’t the best. He had another hour to get through until he could see the child. Time couldn’t go any faster.


	6. Chapter 6

   Steve watched Tony as he began to drift off, stirring every so often by a small coughing fit. Everytime they got bad, he would rub the boy’s back just like his mother used to do for him when he had pneumonia as a boy. He absolutely hated the fact that Tony was in the same position that he was in as a kid. He was even just as small as Steve when he was six. The freakish resemblance only aided in his unrelenting worry and guilt.

  An angry tear rolled down his cheek as he thought back on everything that he had done wrong. He could’ve stopped all of this from happening. If only he had listened to his orders, Tony would’ve been in his own overly big bed right now, working on a tablet and eating soup. Tony would've been pouting while denying that he needs it whenever Steve would make him take his medicine. Tony would've been arguing that he could be in the workshop and he doesn't have time to be sick.

   Steve continued to berate himself as he watched Tony sleep peacefully.

~~

*26 ½ years ago*

  Tony ran around the house with cardboard flaps (Jarvis wouldn't let him use sheets of metal) taped to his arms. He held his arms out as he "soared" around the furniture. Jarvis smiled as he listened to the child's laughs and "flying" noises. He, personally, loved listening and watching the young Stark have fun and play like a normal boy would. It was his way of knowing that Tony wouldn't have a completely horrible childhood.

  A young, maybe early twenties, Italian maid glared in Tony's direction. Jarvis knew that she hated children and that Howard only hired her because of her looks. Tony's arm brushed against a stack of magazines and half of the pile fell to the ground. He remained oblivious until the maid snapped.

  Jarvis watched as she stomped up to the child and grabbed his neck. He knew that Mr. Fury was on his way to pick up Tony to take him to the park. Before she could get a word out, Nick had walked in and roughly pushed her away from the boy. He stared her down, "Tony, please go get Jarvis for me," Tony nodded and  "flew" off to get the butler. Nick growled out to the frightened maid, "Don't ever touch him again. If I find out otherwise, you'll be spending a lot of time behind bars. Got it?"

  She frantically nodded and ran off just as Tony - now wing free - rushed back in with Jarvis on his tail. Nick bent down and caught Tony in his arms, swooping him up.

   "Hey kiddo. You ready to go to the park?"  Tony nodded and Nick picked the small boy up and carried him out to the car with a "I'll have him back in a few hours" thrown Jarvis's way.

   The second they arrived at the park, Tony ran off towards the jungle gym. He wasn't paying attention to anything but the promised land of fun in front of him and ran straight into a little girl.

    The boy's eyes grew to saucers on his face and he quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Tony helped the little redheaded girl up, "Don't be mad. Please don't tell on me. You aren't going to tell Daddy right? Please don't!"

  "I'm fine. I promise I won't tell. You said sorry so it's okay now. I'm Pepper. My real name's Virginia but I don't like it."

  "I'm Tony. Do you want to play with me? We can run around."

   "Well, duhh. You're my new friend," Pepper said as if it was obvious. Tony beamed and they decided to play pirates together.

  Nick watched the two kids with a smile on his face. It was good that Tony was getting to make friends his own age. He never really got a chance to meet anyone with him being home schooled.

  An elderly man came up to him with a suspicious look painting his face, "What are you doing here? I won't be letting someone like you take any of the children. Get out of here."

  Nick sighed and reached into his jacket, "I wouldn't talk to an agent like that. I do have a license to kill. I'm watching that little boy over there," he pulled out his badge and flashed it to the man before putting it back, "Now I suggest you leave me be."

   The man glared at him but walked away. Another woman, younger and with a smile on her face, came up, "I'm sorry about him. He's always like that. Which one's yours? Virginia's playing over by the monkey bars with that little boy."

  "I don't have any kids, but I'm watching Tony. The boy with your daughter."

  "How old is he? He looks so small."

   "Six almost seven. He's always been like that. But you wouldn't believe the energy he has."

   The woman scoffed in acknowledgement, "You're telling me. I have two. The older one's at dance today. I just took Virginia over here to burn some energy."

   Nick nodded in understanding and the two sat down on a bench watching the kids and the woman - Martha - talked to him with Nick chiming in at random points.

~~~~~

  Tony nibbled on the carrots Jarvis brought him. As he put the finishing touches on his robotic dog. He attached the last wire and a mechanical bark rang out. Tony beamed and shut the metal cage before grabbing the small dog and running out to find Jarvis.

   "Jarvis!! Look what I made!" Tony yelled out as he ran towards the living room. His father was standing by the couch with several other business men in tailored suits. Tony beamed and barreled straight into his father's side with his arms opened wide, "Daddy! You're home!"

  The older Stark looked down at the boy with a small frown and patted his head, "Uh... Yeah. Good to see you too Anthony. I'm busy-"

   Tony ignored him and quickly grabbed the almost forgotten robot, "Look what I made Daddy. It's a robot dog. It barks and does tricks and is just like a real dog."

   The robot let out a mechanical bark and the other men who were slightly off put before gave a soft clap to the boy. "Your son is a genius Mr. Stark. This is amazing for a boy his age. I expected nothing less."

   "Thank you. He does take after me," Howard answered. Tony hugged his daddy again and Howard indulged him, for a few seconds. "Jarvis!"

   The butler appeared, "Yes sir?"

   "Take Tony please. I'm busy right now." Howard pushed Tony away and the boy grabbed his robot. He was talking animatedly to Jarvis as he was lead to the kitchen.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought about it. How do you think this is going to end? What do you want to see happen?


End file.
